Researchers have linked self-administered coffee enemas to severe side effects , such as rectal burns, electrolyte imbalances, and rectal perforation. This practice can even be fatal. Despite numerous claims of improved health by detox diet creators and proponents, most detox programs have no clinical evidence supporting their effectiveness or safety.

Additionally, detox diet programs can be costly, especially those that encourage the use of herbs and other dietary supplements.

A variety of detox diets is available online, including juice and smoothie detoxes and plant-based detoxes. Many detox diets are not harmful because people usually only follow them for several days, and they typically comprise plant-based foods such as smoothies and juices.

However, detox diets that involve long periods of fasting or extreme calorie restriction, use of herbal supplements, or practices such as enemas can lead to dangerous side effects and potentially have long-term health consequences.

The body accumulates harmful substances from the environment. These include heavy metals, such as mercury, and persistent organic pollutants POPs. POPs are environmental contaminants that are present in foods, soil, and water.

They accumulate in body fat, and research has linked them to chronic inflammation , oxidative stress, and an increased risk of mortality.

Even though the body is equipped to detoxify itself, following a nutritious diet and limiting exposure to toxic substances in foods and the environment can help support the organs involved in biotransformation and, by extension, promote health.

However, this does not mean that a person should follow a detox program. Fiber is another important nutrient that can help improve the excretion of toxins through the feces. It can also enhance gut barrier function, which can help protect the organs involved in detoxification from proinflammatory bacteria.

Some evidence also suggests that fasting may help promote the health of the liver, which is the major site of detoxification, as well as improving the function of enzymes involved in detoxification. Research in this area is lacking, with the current body of research limited to poorly designed studies.

A review noted that a small number of clinical studies investigating the effects of detox diets have found that some programs may enhance liver detoxification and reduce levels of POPs in the body. However, the authors highlight that these studies were flawed and had small sample sizes.

In a study involving 84 women, researchers asked some participants to follow a low calorie lemon detox diet consisting of lemon juice and syrups and other participants to follow a low calorie placebo diet for 7 days.

Both groups experienced weight loss and a reduction in insulin levels, suggesting that calorie restriction, not the detox diet itself, improved health.

Additionally, consumers should be wary of supplements that supposedly detoxify the body. These supplements often contain a blend of nutrients and herbs that may interact with commonly prescribed medications. A study involving 22 women found that consuming a detox supplement — containing 1, milligrams of a proprietary blend of papaya leaf, cascara sagrada bark, slippery elm bark, peppermint leaf, red raspberry leaf, fenugreek seed, ginger root, and senna leaf — for 4 weeks did not provide any health benefits.

Even though some detox programs may be harmless, there are safety concerns over detox programs that use extreme methods. Fasting for long periods, restricting calories heavily, and taking certain dietary supplements can lead to adverse health effects , such as nutrient deficiencies, weakness, mood changes , dehydration , and more.

Certain groups of people should avoid detox diets because they are at higher risk of adverse effects. These people include:. Before embarking on a detox diet, it is worth discussing plans with a healthcare professional, particularly if the person is taking any prescription medicine.

These programs are typically expensive and can lack nutrients that are essential for biotransformation, such as protein. Even though diets that can supposedly help detoxify the body are popular, the scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness is lacking.

According to currently available research, detox diets are unnecessary and unlikely to benefit health in any significant way.

They may even be harmful in some cases. In this Honest Nutrition feature, we look at how much protein a person needs to build muscle mass, what the best protein sources are, and what risks…. Not all plant-based diets are equally healthy. This has led some people to believe that our food contains artificial ingredients, preservatives, and chemicals that can harm our health.

But the research just isn't that clear cut, and most of these claims have never been proven 3 , 4. Also, the FDA and USDA don't regulate the overall nutrition of your diet - and research does suggest that the quality of your food choices long term can have a significant impact on your health, weight, and overall well-being.

If you are concerned, you can limit your exposure to questionable ingredients and chemicals by eating more organic food, decreasing your intake of heavily processed foods, and living a healthy lifestyle. Plus, your body has an efficient way of detoxing your system naturally, reducing your risk even further.

Your body is actually very good at eliminating harmful substances on its own. And the liver is particularly good at filtering out toxins.

Your liver works hours a day and has three main roles: storing nutrients, producing enzymes, and hormones, and processing various bodily elements. This processing function involves filtering out toxins and byproducts from your blood, by turning these toxins into less harmful substances, like bile, or filtering them out of your system.

In a healthy liver, daily detoxification occurs naturally. Overloading your liver with toxins can impair its function, but only in the case of exposure to dangerous toxins or continued drug and alcohol use. In addition, poor dietary choices long-term can lead to poor liver health fatty liver , increased inflammation, and increased risk of chronic disease 5.

However, this is typically the result of a poor diet and not liver function. While a healthy diet is important for long-term liver health, a special diet isn't always necessary.

Moreover, there isn't any research showing that these types of diets are effective in detoxifying your body 6. In fact, some detox diets can be dangerous. A detox diet is not necessarily designed for weight loss , although many claim detoxifying your body can support weight loss in a few different ways.

However, there isn't any scientific backing to these theories. As far as we know, calorie control still remains the most effective approach to weight management. Fasting and cleanses can help you cut a significant amount of calories, which often results in weight loss, but there is no research suggesting that the actual act of "detoxifying" produces better results 6.

In addition, most detox diets are short-lived, less than two weeks, and result in mainly water weight losses. Fat loss requires much more time than that. Drastic diets also do not do a great job at instilling the behaviors and knowledge needed to continue to lose weight, which is why so many will regain any weight loss as soon as they resume their normal diet.

There are a number of popular detox diets on the market ranging from cleanses supported with supplements to eating clean. However, not all diets are created equal. A detox diet is specifically designed to remove toxins, whereas a dietary cleanse could be as simple as just cleaning up your diet.

Thus, certain dietary cleanses may have more merit when it comes to improving your health and helping you lose weight. But again, there isn't any research indicating that a dietary cleanse offers a unique benefit to detoxing or fat loss outside of calorie control and improved nutrition.

So the best cleanse diets are those that opt for a well-rounded approach to healthy eating - focused mainly on cutting out empty calories and heavily processed foods and increasing your intake of nutrient-dense foods, all while maintaining the right amount of calories for you to lose weight effectively.

These include pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and other harmful compounds. These diets are also claimed to help with various health problems, including obesity , digestive issues, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, allergies, bloating, and chronic fatigue 1.

However, human research on detox diets is lacking, and the handful of studies that exist are significantly flawed 2 , 3. Detoxes are short-term interventions designed to eliminate toxins from your body.

There are many ways to do a detox diet — ranging from total starvation fasts to simpler food modifications. Most detox diets involve at least one of the following 1 :. There are many kinds of detoxes.

Detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove. The mechanisms by which they work are also unclear. Despite this, there are a few chemicals that may not be as easily removed by these processes, including persistent organic pollutants POPs , phthalates, bisphenol A BPA , and heavy metals 3 , 8 , 9 , 10 , These tend to accumulate in fat tissue or blood and can take a very long time — even years — for your body to flush 12 , 13 , However, these compounds generally are removed from or limited in commercial products today Your body can clear itself of most toxins through the liver, feces, urine, and sweat.

However, this improved well-being may simply be due to eliminating processed foods, alcohol, and other unhealthy substances from your diet. Very few scientific studies have investigated how detox diets impact weight loss 2.

While some people may lose a lot of weight quickly , this effect seems to be due to loss of fluid and carb stores rather than fat. This weight is usually regained quickly once you go off the cleanse.

One study in overweight Korean women examined the lemon detox diet , which limits you to a mixture of organic maple or palm syrups and lemon juice for seven days. This diet significantly reduced body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, markers of inflammation, insulin resistance, and circulating leptin levels Several varieties of detox diets may have effects similar to those of short-term or intermittent fasting.

Short-term fasting may improve various disease markers in some people, including improved leptin and insulin sensitivity 17 , However, these effects do not apply to everyone.

Studies in women show that both a hour fast and a 3-week period of reduced calorie intake may increase your stress hormone levels 19 , On top of that, crash diets can be a stressful experience , as they involve resisting temptations and feeling extreme hunger 21 , Detox diets may help with short-term weight loss, though more studies are needed.

Some detox diets may resemble intermittent fasting regimes, which can improve some biomarkers of health. A few aspects of detox diets may have health benefits, such as 4 :.

Several aspects of detox diets may aid your health. These include avoiding environmental toxins, exercising, eating nutritious food, drinking water, limiting stress, and relaxing.

Several detox diets recommend fasting or severe calorie restriction. Short-term fasting and limited calorie intake can result in fatigue , irritability, and bad breath. Long-term fasting can result in energy, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies, as well as electrolyte imbalance and even death Furthermore, colon cleansing methods, which are sometimes recommended during detoxes, can cause dehydration, cramping, bloating , nausea, and vomiting Some detox diets may pose the risk of overdosing on supplements, laxatives, diuretics, and even water.

Several aspects of detox diets may aid your health. These include avoiding environmental toxins, exercising, eating nutritious food, drinking water, limiting stress, and relaxing. Several detox diets recommend fasting or severe calorie restriction. Short-term fasting and limited calorie intake can result in fatigue , irritability, and bad breath.

Long-term fasting can result in energy, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies, as well as electrolyte imbalance and even death Furthermore, colon cleansing methods, which are sometimes recommended during detoxes, can cause dehydration, cramping, bloating , nausea, and vomiting Some detox diets may pose the risk of overdosing on supplements, laxatives, diuretics, and even water.

There is a lack of regulation and monitoring in the detox industry, and many detox foods and supplements may not have any scientific basis. In the worst cases, the ingredient labels of detox products may be inaccurate.

This can increase your risk of overdosing, potentially resulting in serious — and even fatal — effects Certain people should not start any detox or calorie-restricting regimens without consulting a doctor first. At-risk populations include children, adolescents, older adults, those who are malnourished, pregnant or lactating women, and people who have blood sugar issues, such as diabetes or an eating disorder.

Detox diets may severely limit energy and nutrient intake, posing various risks to your health. Some groups of people should never do detox diets.

Your body is frequently exposed to toxic substances. However, most of the time, it can remove them without additional help. While detox diets may seem tempting, their benefits likely have nothing to do with vanquishing toxins, but rather with eliminating various unhealthy foods.

A much smarter approach is to eat healthier and improve your lifestyle rather than go on a potentially dangerous cleanse. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Detox water is claimed to have all sorts of health benefits, including weight loss.

But does it really work? This article looks at the science. Many people are turning to "master cleanses" such as the lemon water detox to improve their health. Fans says the detox leads to glowing skin and…. The Master Cleanse, or Lemonade Diet, is a juice fast used for quick weight loss.

Here's a deep look at how it works and whether it's worth trying. The use of apple cider vinegar for detox goes back thousands of years. But the benefits are largely anecdotal. More research is needed. Can you use a detox bath to treat a cold?

We explain the benefits and risks, plus share some detox recipes to try. Ionic foot detoxes are said to rid the body of harmful toxins, but is this really possible? Here's what the research has to say. Epsom salt can help you relax, de-stress, or avoid constipation, but it's not effective for weight loss.

Learn why and how to use Epsom salt. While they're not typically able to prescribe, nutritionists can still benefits your overall health. Let's look at benefits, limitations, and more. A new study found that healthy lifestyle choices — including being physically active, eating well, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption —….

A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based Do Detox Diets and Cleanses Really Work? By Adda Bjarnadottir, MS, RDN Ice — Updated on April 11, Share on Pinterest. What Is a Detox? The Most Common Ways to Detox.

Which Toxins Are Eliminated? How Effective Are These Diets? Potential Benefits. Safety and Side Effects. The Bottom Line. The result? Inflammation and oxidative damage accumulate in our bodies, and we experience symptoms from weight gain and joint pain to brain fog and fatigue.

Most people miss the signs that it's time for full-body detoxification—or just don't know how to get started. In this blog post, we will talk about how to effectively detox your body with the support of integrative medicine.

Whether it be household products, food choices, or exposure to environmental toxins, health is affected by your everyday behaviors. And today, the average American is exposed to an overwhelming amount of harmful chemicals.

What does an overwhelmed detoxification system look and feel like? Here are 12 signs it's time for a detox. A diet that contains sugar and other processed foods can put you on a hormonal rollercoaster that only further exacerbates your cravings for sugar.

A detox can help relieve your body and brain of inflammatory toxins. Related: Become Smarter and Happier by Biohacking Your Brain. Hormones like cortisol carefully control energy levels.

A detox can help restore balance to your adrenals, which control cortisol production. A sluggish detox system is a big bummer for the health and appearance of your skin. Environmental toxins, excess hormones, and other various metabolic waste products make their way to your liver, which is one of your powerhouse detoxification organs.

A poor diet, stress, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and even high blood sugar can slow liver detox. And since sweating is also a way for some toxins to leave the body, these waste products find their way to your skin, triggering inflammation, rashes, and acne.

Many people make the mistake of overlooking mental and emotional symptoms when it comes to the health of their body. Outside stressors contribute significantly to your overall health, including having a profound effect on immune health and hormones.

A detox can help you optimize certain nutrients your brain needs to feel a sense of calm, but it can also involve addressing certain lifestyle stressors as well as implementing tactics like mindfulness and meditation.

Explore weight loss the integrative medicine way at CentreSpringMD. Your internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, depends on hormonal regulation from your adrenal glands and liver. And unfortunately, not sleeping well only creates a vicious cycle for poor health.

Detox for better sleep, and watch how everything else falls into place! Research shows that ADHD symptoms get worse in the presence of heavy metals 4. Read more: 10 Strategies to Address ADHD Without Meds.

While both male and female hormonal systems are complex, many hormone imbalance symptoms can be improved by resolving inflammation triggered by slow detoxification pathways. Learn more about hormone balancing and HRT with functional medicine.

Is it a cold? A case of Strep throat on repeat? No matter which way you look at it—your immune system is struggling, and this is a big red flag. The best detox for weight loss involves 4 things:. As functional medicine practitioners, first, we want to identify potential issues with certain areas of detox, including mold, heavy metals, environmental toxins, and hormones.

This helps pinpoint the best way to detox for your genetics and individual situation. In addition to looking at the genetic data, lab tests check for environmental toxins and how well you are metabolizing hormones.

This helps dictate which foods to incorporate or reduce and which supplements to use in your detox plan. Functional testing includes:. Get started with the right detox for your individual chemistry.